Havent posted for a very long time, but I have twin boys-now 11yrs-one with EoE and the other who has (had) multiple lifethreateing food allergies-he has had anaphylaxis to barley, pineapple, peanut, 3 tree nuts and sunflower seed (plus many more non lifethreateing reactions to sesame, soy, egg).

Over the last 18 months something has switched in his immune system and all of his spts have gone from sky high to levels safe enough to challenge in a hospital setting--he has now passed and is cosuming reguarly every food he has had anaphylaxis to. His hayfever has settled down, and his asthma is at the point where we can consider trialling him off preventers....not sure if its hormonal related or whatever-something has changed in his system and we like it!

He has just passed the last and most difficult for us to manage-SUNFLOWER! As there is virtually no data on safe levels to challenge with regard to sunflower seed, our immunologist gave us the option of a hospital challenge when his skin prick test was at 5mm (<3mm considered at risk of some type of reaction here as a standard). We bit the bullet and two weeks later he is still consuming it on a daily basis with no symptoms what so ever!

I hope this gives hope to some of the people I know on this forum who have similar ''unusual' allergies--its well know some kids can grow out of may of their lifethreatening allergies but the data on things like barley, sunflower and pineapple is low..but obviously in some cases it can be done.

We are still holding the epipen close, but it is great for him to be able to visit friends and not have to take every morsel of food he might possible consume....and this saturday he will get to participate in morning tea-a tradition when playing cricket for both sides to get together at the half way mark and share the food that the home team brings along.

caz, This is absolutely wonderful, amazing, incredible news! So happy for your family. Do you feel that there is anything, anything at all, no matter how small, that may be attributed to your sons improved immune system? There is so much that is still unknown, and your sons improved immune system could provide the key to why some individuals can move beyond living life with life-threatening food allergies. I would love to hear if you've speculated how or why this may have happened. Also, does his doctor or allergist have any thoughts? SOOOOO happy for you, and so hopeful for the future.

thankyou-yes it is incredible...he is coping very well being able to eat anything now and would be quite happy to leave his epipen at home all the time now--he has always been the sort of kid that just takes whatever is dished up in front of him and adapts to whatever he has to do. (his parents are inwardly anxious but keeping it under wraps!).
Julie-there are only 2 things that I wonder about-Ive always believed that a lot of what has happened to him has been environmental (eg we moved to a rural area when he was 4-that november he developed asthma for the first time, the next november anaphylaxis to a couple of things, the following november another new food with anaphylaxis, the following november multiple epipsodes of lips and face swelling...) We also lived directly across the road from barley crops and barley was the first new thing he had anaphylaxis to...then pea crops were planted the following year (closely related to peanut and that year he had anaphylaxis to peanut)...and he has always had bad grass allergies (barley and rye grass are virtually the same genetically)...and we have sunflower fields around us (not sure how the pineapple relates though!)
November is important here as its when our hayfever season is starting to kick off....
So I wonder if originally it was the very overloaded pollen environment he was exposed to at the start, and now that hes maturing his body has just started recognising everything as less harmful (finally). He is developmentally advanced so all those testosterone hormones may be helping who knows?
Mind you they are my own theories-his immunologist doesnt know as she had never seen one like him before (she used to call him her most 'difficult' patient and thats from someone who sees kids from all over the state/state every day...she is just saying that sometimes kids immune systems can just kick start but theres no real rhyme or reason to it)

Whatever it is we are happy to have some great news in what has traditionally been our most dreaded month...for him to get through a food challenge for 2 weeks this time of year without any antihistamine is incredible in itself as this is the time of year when traditionally he is at his worst with his hayfever but he has breezed through it-no hayfever, no asthma....so long answer but nothing that we have done ourselves-just an adjustment his body has made I think.
Julie your son is a little like mine-he has many of those allergies at some point so fingers crossed for you!

caz, SOOOO interesting. There does seem to be the possibility that living in a rural setting is linked with improved immunity - exposure to microbes, etc. I am very interested in this. It is a complex health issue, and I appreciate your thoughts on this. We live in an urban setting . It's interesting that you didn't move to a rural setting until your son was 4. I realise there is no way to know if there is a connection, but I think many of these factors are part of the puzzle. SOOOO happy for you, and please keep us posted!

Congratulations, Caz! Keep the EpiPens nearby for now, and hope that in a year or two (or when you and your allergist are comfortable that this is permanent) you can get rid of them and leave them as a distant memory. This is going to make your DS' life so much easier.

_________________anaphylaxis to tree nuts and peanuts; asthmatic, dairy intolerant, vegan
other family members allergic to to dairy, egg, peanut, peach, banana, sesame, environmentals

Caz I'm so happy for your son! He must be over the moon being able to eat anything that he wants. Does he actually enjoy the foods? I've heard that sometimes when children outgrow an allergy they still don't like the taste of the food...

Thanks everone for your replies! We are trying to get all sorts of new foods into him while all is going so well and his mouth is having a taste sensation (along with his twin brother who has been restricted as well because of Joels food allergies)

Julie wrote:

caz, SOOOO interesting. There does seem to be the possibility that living in a rural setting is linked with improved immunity - exposure to microbes, etc. I am very interested in this. It is a complex health issue, and I appreciate your thoughts on this. We live in an urban setting . It's interesting that you didn't move to a rural setting until your son was 4.

the rural move was actually what retriggered him! (prior to this he was eating all foods without restriction-and that was living in an urban environment)---we moved here (rural) and he had worsening hayfever...then asthma...then anaphylaxis...and more anaphylaxis....

We are still here with no changes...but to me it seems a very environmental cause(rather than rural living fixing things)

_________________1 year old daughter: Allergic to wheat, soy, oat, sesame, dairy, eggs, banana plus a bunch waiting for confirmation
4 year old son: no allergies
Me: no allergies
Husband: allergy to Peanuts and nuts

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